Two Writers Slinging Yang

On June 15, Jeff was asked to speak to a group of senior citizens at the Covington in Southern California. The chat was recorded, and touched on a large number of topics related to this pod.

On why Rickey Henderson fascinated him as a book subject; on what to do when a subject agrees to talk—then backtracks; on what people misunderstand about baseball's greatest base thief.

On driving to Uvalde, Texas on the day after the school massacre; on writing opinion pieces concerning the craziness of America's gun obsession; on attending the NRA Convention as a member of the press; on transitioning from military to media.

On why the quarterback dad is such a unique modern phenom; on why covering Frank Thomas was better than covering Sammy Sosa; on Albert Belle's terror and the joy of placing a bet.

On what it is to write a book that involves a unicorn and have folks assume you're promoting "the gay agenda"; on the best way to respond to negativity; on battling back from a brain tumor and embracing life

On life as America's only (we think) nostalgia reporter; on being young and asking older subjects to share their painful memories; on reporting on hardship with compassion and empathy.

On whether writing about familiar people was at all uncomfortable in "August: Osage County"; on why real life is too boring to be portrayed literally; on why he still uses a typewriter and what he tried to bring to the character of Jack McKinney.

On the detailed reporting that led to the dismissal of the Gators' women's soccer coach; on using different branches of social media to track down sources; on whether Tim Tebow remains relevant. 

On the torture of writing a screenplay and watching everyone add their thoughts and notes and opinions; on how he became the "Luke Cage" executive producer; on having a member of Wu-Tang punch him in the face and steal his tape recorder; on his involvement in "Creed II."

On surviving 45 years at a single newspaper—and loving it; on covering Earl Campbell and Bum Phillips and Dan Pastorini; on whether it's still worth pursuing a career in journalism.

On feeling compelled to write about Jackie Robinson; on dissecting the details from long-ago newspaper articles; on the joy of the deep dig; on pissing off an NHL player and living to tell.

On how his love of baseball has lasted for decades; on the joy of Ken Griffey, Jr. and Joey Votto (and the walking annoyance that was Brandon Phillips); on taking a job at a dying newspaper.

On sitting across from Oprah and asking great questions; on whether celebrity can be intimidating; on how to convince people to open up during chats; on whether publicists are friends or foes.

On the enormous difference between Magic Johnson saying, "It does" and "It do"; on how to make a scene soar without overwriting and relying too much on dialogue; on sharing the credit for a project with dozens of collaborators. 

On why it was time to set down his pen; on the old-school days of Philadelphia sports writing; on the biggest mistake of his career—and battling back; on Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton and Pete Rose and Julio Franco.

On the weird landscape that is Hollywood; on writing dialogue for characters based upon real people; on the art of the ideal comic book; on serving as a "Green Mile" standi-n. 

On what happens when someone says, "We wanna turn your book into an HBO series"; on our magical day on set and the difficulties of Sidney Moncrief's name; on meeting Sally Field and watching your work come to life

On what it's like to have a show coming out on HBO in two weeks; on the steps Jim took to option my book, "Showtime," and why he brought a block of chocolate, a tomato and imitation wine drink to my house; on life insider the writers' room.

On what it's like having (my pathetic, podunk home turf) work to ban her book from school libraries; on why people feel so threatened by words on a page; on whether it's limiting to write for a younger audience.

On locking himself in a cabin, living off of noodles and energy drinks while writing 8,000 words per day; on embracing the unique joy of shitty Amazon reviews; on why Urban Meyer is the world's biggest douche.

On chronicling the early days of a basketball icon; on the complications of writing about someone who recently passed; on whether the modern newspaper sports columnist still matters; on being called out via Zoom by a Philadelphia Flyer standout.

On jumping on to a new beat midway through a high-profile coaching search; on going from Iowa to Louisiana; on why one would pursue journalism over medicine.

On chronicling the exploits of the NBA's most physical team; on efforts to speak with Patrick Ewing and John Starks; on saying no and no to a topic—then yes.

On working in sex and also chronicling the world of the sex worker; on why the Washington Post insisted she use her real name in a byline; on whether saying, "I love you, too" to a client is kosher; on how one becomes a sex worker; on chronicling the trials of a trans child.

On athletes engaging with the media and deciding which reporters are trustworthy; on the myriad give-and-take options between scribes and jocks; on why nearly all professional football players are—ultimately—meat and what it's like to walk away from the sport.